Barratt Homes, not content with the planning permission obtained by dishonest, underhand means, are now trying to circumvent due process at the cost of local residents again!

To be absolutely clear, Barratt Homes with their partner in crime Ascalon Properties, have planning permission to change the Meadow Lane / Longton Road junction to facilitate their scheme to destroy the Meadow.  Their ‘approved’ plan for the junction is quite clear and according to them quite safe, despite the fact that there is nothing they can do to make that junction safe for the development.

To implement the plans for the junction, they need to come up with a detailed plan, have it approved by the Local Highways Authority, then get a Section 278 agreement in place to allow them to make the changes.

Because of their deceit at the Appeal about their plans for the junction being safe, they’ll now find it virtually impossible to be able to actually prove that it is safe enough to be added to the local highway network when it comes down to detailed planning.

And so, in Barratt’s usual weaselly way, they have started what we suspect will be a long campaign of underhand tactics to undermine our democratic processes with no regard for the impact on existing residents, because quite frankly they have proven that they only care about profit and do not care a jot about the people they impact, including their own customers.

Despite;

• there being no issue with parking causing obstruction or safety risks at the junction today and;
• there being no issue with  parking raised in Barratt’s approved model for the junction and;
• the approved plans for the junction showing the existing double yellow lines pretty much where they are today;

They have, without providing any actual reason or explanation applied to have the double yellow lines at the junction doubled in length, thereby denying perfectly good parking at the end of Meadow Lane for residents, parents who then continue on foot to Ash Green, shoppers who walk round to the Brough Lane shops, visitors who go on to access the canal towpath on foot, and very importantly to staff, customers and delivery drivers related to Trentham Bathrooms.

The impact of displacing this parking, has not been considered and it will create a safety risk, as it will force drivers to park further down in Meadow Lane, adjacent to driveways and particularly near the bottle neck outside number 22.

The reason they do cite is; to ‘facilitate’ a s278 agreement.  The issue with this is that the s278 agreement does not exist and no-one knows what will be in it, and if it is consistent with  the approved appeal junction design, then there is no need to increase the length of the double yellow lines!

We at KOMG ask that if you believe like us, that this another cynical attempt by Barratt Homes to circumvent due and democratic processes that would require a proper assessment of the impacts in a detailed plan, or you do not wish for the top of Meadow Lane to become a dangerous congested parking area with displaced vehicles then please do object to the plan by ;

• emailing   traffic.orders@stoke.gov.uk
• writing to   David Follows, Place, Growth & Prosperity Directorate, Civic Centre, Stoke, ST4 1HH

with reference MB/NM/TRO12/2019.     

See the full Notice from the Council here:   Notice and Documents from SOT CC

1. Left: Approved planning permission.
2. Right: What they’re now trying to get through.

For more information such as details of the councils policy of approving Double Yellow Lines when there are;

• no obstructions or safety risks at the junction due to parking currently or forecast and;
• no approved planning permission documents to support them and;
• no s278 or agreed detailed junction plans in place;
• or even to ask for a copy of the s278 agreement or any supporting documents cited as the reason for the double yellow lines, then call;

David Follows on 01782 234963

Given Barratt’s track record, this probably won’t be the last of the double yellow lines they’ll apply for.  We reckon that they’ll also apply for double yellows throughout  the estate as they can not get the construction traffic safely through if residents park cars legally on the roads!

Lastly by the way of other news, we’re continuing to work on behalf of residents, and are at the final stage of a complaints process with Planning Inspectorate.  So far, the Planning Inspectorate have had to apologise in writing for mishandling our complaint (trying to fob us off), and they’ve also had to uphold our complaint about the Inspectors decision on the junction.    There is more to come…….  keep an eye on the blog.